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(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 2 V. BESSIER.

PORTABLE LADDER.

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"VETAL BESSIER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY A. ROBBINS, OF WVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PORTABLE LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,660, dated May 13, 188%.

Application filed January 18, 1884.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Vnriu. Bnssinn, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Portable Ladder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My portable ladder is intended more especially for use as a fire-escape but it is also useful and desirable for various other purposes, situations, and occasions. Its distinguishing characteristics are, first, its extreme compactness and lightness, whereby a fireman or other per son may carry a ladder of many feet in length, when unfolded, without inconvenience or great burden, and second, the readiness and ease with which it may be unfolded and applied to a support in almost any situation requiring its use. The leading features of its construction are, its capability of being folded with its rounds or rungs all lying closely together side by side; its being held, when thus folded, in a frame which allows it to be conveniently carried by a single person; that this frame can be spread apart at the bottom or otherwise conveniently arranged and manipulated, whereby the ladder can be set free and allowed to unfold and descend, and that the frame is provided with hooks conveniently constructed and arranged for carrying the ladder in its frame, and for hooking upon a suitable support for using, these hooks also being capable of turning to different positions-one for securely holding the ladder folded, and another for sustaining the upper end of the ladder when the same is or is about to be unfolded.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side View of the ladder folded into its frame, showing the supporting-hooks in position for confining the ladder in its frame. Fig. 2 represents a similar view with the hooks turned at right angles to the former position and proper for hooking upon some support to sustain the ladder unfolded Fig. 3, an edge view of the frame containing the ladder, the hooks being in the same position as in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a side view of the frame opened to let down the ladder, showing (No model.)

a portion of the ladder unfolded; Fig. 5, a

horizontal section of the ladder-frame in a plane indicated by the linear ayFig. 1; Fig. 6, an inside view of one of the side pieces of the frame, showing also a partial section of the same at top and bottom; Fig. 7, an edge view 5 5 of a portion of the ladder; Fig. 8, a horizon tal section of the ladder, showing a top view of one of the ladder-rounds; Fig. 9, a side view of a portion of the ladder, the rounds being in vertical section; Fig. 10, a cross-section of the ladder-round modified in construction; Fig. 11, a longitudinal section thereof.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

The ladder A is composed of a series of rounds or rungs, a a, preferably made of thin sheet-metal plates, sheet-steel being strongest and lightest, set vertically edgewise, and of a double set of connecting-links, b b, one set at each end of the rounds, also preferably made of thin plates of steel or other sheet metal and jointed together half-way between the rounds, and also jointed to the respective rounds. These connecting-links lap by one another where they are jointed together, as shown in Fig. 7, so that one link will fold over another. They also lap by the round plates so as to fold behind the same, and occupy no extra room in the direction of the length of the ladder, whereby the ladder can be folded with the Z) I) both folding between these plates at each 8 5 end thereof; but a single plate may be used for each round, the connectinglinks folding together behind the same, a single rivet or pin, 0, at each end of the round, serving to connect the links together and to pivot them I to the round. The links should not be so long but that those at each end of the round may fold behind the roundplate, or between the two round-plates, without interferingjwith each other, and in case a bolt, (2, Figs. 5, 8,

and 9, is used to connect the two round-plates, they will not be prevented from allowing the links to fold between them thereby.

A special feature in the construction of this folding ladder which I prefer to use is represented in Figs. 7, 8, and 9. The links I) b are held by stops e at their j ointings to the ladder-rounds, so that they cannot swing outward beyond avertieal position,and preferably they are not allowed to quite reach avertical position, so as to be always within the deadpoints at their jointings together between the rounds on the connecting-pivots f f. These stops 6 6 may be conveniently made by turning the ends of the plate or front plate of each round backward, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. By this construction the ladder is very easily folded up either by simply lifting the lower round and those above successively with the hand, or by drawing ona cord or chain attached to the lower round, if one is at the upper end of the ladder,the links automatically folding in ward behind the rounds. This bending back of the plate or front plate of each round also enables me, with scarcely any additional expense, to apply another feature to the ladder, as shown in Fig. 7. By simply extending the turned-back ends of the plate back far enough for the purpose, they form stays 0 0, to steady the ladder against a wall or other support, and to keep the rounds sufficiently away from the wall to be grasped by the hands, and to receive and support the feet of the person as cending or descending the ladder. The length of the stays preferably increase somewhat from the top round downward, to give the ladder a slight inclination backward at the upper end, and thereby to facilitate the ascent and descent thereon and make the passage up and down more safe. The frame B ismost simply made of two side pieces, g g, of sheet metal, and a top piece, h, properly made of a simple round rod. The side pieces are bent into trough-like form by turning the sideedges inward, as shown in Fig. 5, the width between the side flanges being just sufficient to freely admit the ends of the folded ladder-rounds and of sufiicient length to receive all the rounds of the ladder when they are folded together and held therein. The ends of the side pieces also are bent inward and form bearings for the extensions 6 i of the two hooks G O to turn in. The lower end bearing, j, also sustains the ends of the lower round of the ladder, whereby the whole ladder is held and supported in the frame. The top rod or bar, h, of the frame may have bearings or eyes-at each end through which the extensions of the hooks (J 0 pass, and by this construction partially folding and unfolding the ladder.

free or slightly loose j oints are formed, which will allow the lower ends of the side pieces, g g, to swing out and in sufficiently to engage or disengage the ends of the ladder-rounds in The upper round of the ladder has hooks or eyes lo 70, which surround and are sustained by the top red, h, of the frame. The hooks O O are broad enough to reach nearly or quite the whole width of the ladder-frame, so that by turning them over the top of the frame, as shown in Fig. 1, they will be side by side, and can be seized and held together like the bail of a vessel, and thereby enable a person to readily carry the ladder. The hook-extensions a '5 also have right-angled projections Z Z at their lower ends, respectively, extending in substantially the same direction as the hooks themselves at the upper end of the extensions. Thus, when the hooks are in bail position, as shown in Fig. 1, these projeetionsl Zare held directly under the ladder ready to support the same and prevent its unfolding should it accidentallybecome detached from the holding-bearings at the lower ends of the frame-sides g g,- but it is to be observed that, when the ladder is carried by the hooks arranged as a bail, the weight of the ladder itself tends to hold the lower ends of the frame-sides g ginward, and consequently to hold the ladder supported thereby. When, however, the hooks are thrown out at right angles to the frame, as shown'in Figs. 2 and 3, the projections Z Z are also thrown outward laterally from the frame, leavingthe ladder free to descend and unfold as soon as the lower ends of the frame-sides g g are swung out to let the ladder go. This the attendant can do by simply pressing the hooks toward each other. Thus, as soon as he has suspended the ladder from a window-sill, firemen s ladder-round, or other support he can at once let the ladder descend to the ground with a very slight manipulation. He may, if he chooses, on ascending to the top or window of a building, turn the hooks and carry them over his shoulders, the ladder hanging at his back, when a slight approach of the.

hooks on his shoulders will allow the ladder to descend. This ladder is not only useful for firemen, but also for placing permanently in the halls or rooms of buildings, especially of hotels, manufactories, and other buildings wherein many persons are employed or live. The hooks O G, swung together to form a bail, may be suspended from a simple hook, screw, or nail attached to the wall of a hall or room, and can be taken down as quickly as a garment and carried to a window, and then the hooks may be turned out at right angles to the frame, to -hook over the windowsill.

The ladder is-so compact when folded that one eighty feet long may be folded into a frame,

13, not exceeding four feet in length.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have shown aconstruction of ladder-rounds whereby extreme lightness is attained with sufficient strength and rigidity. The round is made of very thin sheet metal and the upper and lower edges of the strip are turned back at right angles to the body, forming stiffening-flanges m m. The

upper edge alone might be thus turned back.

When thus formed, blocks or plates it should be used to fill the space between the flanges flush where the connecting-links are pivoted to the round.

I claim as my invention- 1. A ladder composed of plates (4 a, forming the rounds, and connecting-links b b, pivoted to the rounds and to one another, the rounds being provided with stops 6 e, to prevent the folding outward and compel the folding inward of the links behind the rounds, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The ladder-rounds a a, having their ends bent backward to form both stops 6 e and projecting stays, substantially as herein specified.

3. The combination of a folding ladder, A, composed of plates to a, forming the rounds, and connecting-links b b, pivoted to the rounds and to one another, and a portable frame, B, provided with sides 9 g, adapted to embrace and sustain the ends of the ladder-rounds, and with means for carrying and suspending the ladder, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

4:. A ladder-frame, 13, formed of side pieces, 9 9, adapted to embrace and sustain the folded ladder, and a top piece, h, the said side pieces being connected with the top piece by movable joints, whereby they may be swung outward at the lower ends to set free the ladder and allow it to unfold, substantially as herein specified.

5. Swinging hooks O G, in combination with the ladder-frame B, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

6. Hooks O O, turning on vertical extensions i i, pivoted in the sides of the ladderframe B, the said extensions being provided with lateral projections Z Z, in combination with the folding ladder A, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified. v

7. A ladder-round formed of flanged metallic plates, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

8. A portable ladder composed of a folding or collapsible ladder, A, and holding-frame 13, provided with a carrying and suspending bail or hooks, O O, substantially as and for the VETAL BESSIER.

\Vitnesses:

CARL H. MAHLINE, Jonr r AMMoN. 

